Safety attachment for vessels.



J. S. NBUMANN.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FORVESSELS. APPLICATION FILED MAY a, 1913.

1, 1 29,950 Patented Mar. 2, 19

WITNESSES 1 MA W f? A f am I, p, "54 V JAKOBS. NEUMANN, OF GREAT FALLS, MONTANA.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR. VESSELS.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Mar. a, 1915,

Application filed May 6, 1913. Serial No. 765,803.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAKOB S. NEUMANN, citizen of the United States, residing at Great F al1s,'in the county of Cascade and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Attachments for Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an attachment 1n the nature of a buffer or guard, adapted to be used in connection with boats, vessels and ships of "various character.

The primary object of the invention contemplates the provision of a cushion attachment in the form of a buffer or guard adapted to be secured to the-bow of the boat, to absorb the shock, in the eventof a collision, that would ordinarilv be received by the boat itself, thereby reducing the ultimate danger as Well as the danger attending such a collision.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of suitable means arranged upon the attachment, and comprising a part of the invention, whereby the dlrectlon of travel,.in the event of a collision, may be varied or changed, this arrangement preventing a headlong collision and causing the colliding boat to deliver only a glancing blow, thus materially reducing the likelihood of disaster, occurring by reason of the inability of the colliding boat to vary its course or direction of travel.

A still further obj ect'of the invention is to provide novel and peculiar means including a plurality of specially arranged springs, whereby two moving boats may collide, or a boat collidewith an'immovable or floating object, without endangering or wrecking such, boat or boats.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

In describing my invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a buffer attachment constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 of the attachment.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention the numeral 1 designates a substantially V-shaped metallic plate adapted to be secured in any'suitable manner across the bow of a boat, the said plate having a plurality of projections 2 formed integrally with and struck-out from one face thereof for fixedly connecting a plurality of helical springs 8 varying in size, according to their position with respect to the said plate; The extremities of the V-shaped plate extend outwardly as at 4: and terminate in a vertically extending rod or shaft 5 upon which rollers 6 are disposed, the said rollers being loosely mounted upon the said shaft to allow a free rotation of the rollers should occasion demand.

Any number of springs may be employed in connection with this invention, however in the preferred form five main springs 6 are provided, the said springs being connected to the. outer converged end of the is a side elevation V-shaped plate 1 from which point they extend in parallel spaced relation, one spring directly beneath the other. The opposite end of each spring is secured to the inner converged end of a second or forward metallic V-shaped plate 8, the said plate 8 likewise being provided with a plurality of projections 9 formed in alinement with the projections 2 of the plate 1. The terminals of the springs 6 are fastened to the plates 1 and 8 in any suitable manner. Upon each side of the main springs 61 provide a similar number of springs 10 somewhat smallerlthan the main springs 6 and secured thereto at various points throughout the length of the springs through the medium of a plurality of twisted wire connections 11. The said springs 10 are secured at each'end to the plates 1 and 8 by means of the projections 2 and 9 respectively formed thereupon. Additional springs 12, yet smaller than the springs 10 are provided and disposed in parallel relation upon each side of the inter mediate springs 10, the said springs 12 likewise being connected at various points throughout their length to the intermediate springs 10 by means of similar twisted wire connections 13, and secured to the projections 2 and 9 formed upon the plates 1 and 8 of the device. To the extremities of the forward pl'ate 8,f-ro ds llare seured, the

said rods adapted to have mountedt-here---- upon a plurality of vertically extending rollers 15, the purpose ofwhich willsubsequently appear. The converged end'of the plate member 8 is provided with rollers 13 the said rollers beingjournaled within suitable brackets 14 secured to the plate and projecting forwardly therefrom, this arrangement of the rollers preventing a direct blow being'st'ruck by the 'collidin g vessel and forcing or sheeringeith'erthe vessel or the object collided with to one' side;

Byfsecurely fastening the plate 1 over the bow of aboat, it will be senthat' the plate 8 is held in'spaoed relation thereto" by means of the" several springs embodied in 'the inventipn. p 7 I Should the ammpomwmmemplate l isattached collide with eith'er shoving or stationary object it Will he se' n that the plate'8,l by reasonof'its'position, will first engag g'e the said-object, in which event the shock'created by the collision of the boat and the object is entirely absorbed by the springs 3'coinprisi'ng the invention. 7 Should aglancing blow bestruck, it will be: seen that the rollers 15 and 6 will cause the boat to change its direction of travel 'and allow the same to move unobstructed along side of the oloject causing the collision. From the above, taken in connection with the 7a'ccompanying drawings, itwill be seen that, the ina'iiner 'in which the springs 3 are "disposed and arranged is such as'to brin'g'thsmain springs at the point where .theigreatest strain is brought to bear upon the device in the event of aeolli sion; and

that the provision" of the several" rollers employed in connection With the invention will obviateto a -great extent the many dis asters occurring by reason of the inability of the colliding vessel to change its course or direc tion erases. I

, 'In reduction to practis I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawingsand referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment is the most eflicientand practical; yet "realizing that theconditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary to some extent, I "desireto emphasize the fact that variousminor' changes in the de tails of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, withoutsacrificingany of the advantages derived from" my inventionas defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my nvention, what'I claim as new and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. 'Abuffer attachment for vesstisintiading a plurality tsprin gs, plates to which the-springs are s ecured, one said plates being supported by the said springs and the -ceive gproportionately the strain exerted other connected to the vessel, the said spi m-gswarying in size, the larger springs engaging the plates centrally, and the smaller springs ateach side thereof to reupon the plates when colliding.

2. Abutter attachment for vessels including a pair of plates, springs arranged between the said plates, said springs being arranged in series, the springs of each series varying in size,and meansconnecting the springs of each series to maintain 'said springs in parallel relation, as and fertile purpps'e "set forth.

3. buffer attachment t for vessels including a plurality ofserially arrangedsprings, the springs of each series varying in'size from the outer to the centrally disposed springs, Plates to'whi'ch' thes'prings ar'e'secured, one of said plates beingsupported by said springs and the "other connected to'the "vessel, the

larger springs "engagin'gthe plates centrally, and the smaller"springsat' each "side thereof to receive proportionately the strain exerted upon the said plates during a collision of the vessel' with' a second object.

"4-. A buifer attachment for vessels including a pair ofplate members, springs interposed between the said plate'inembe'rs, rollers mounted uponthe extremities of the said plate members, and means connecting the saidsprings to maintain the "same inpar- 'allel' relation,as and for the purposeset forth.

5. A buffer attachment for vessels including a pair of'substa'ntially V'-shaped plate members, a plurality of springs interposed between the said plate members, the said springs beingso arran, ;ed between the said plate members 'as to receive proportionately, according to their size,the strain exerted upon the said plates by a collision of the vessel with an object,1neans supported'by the said plates anddisposed in the'path of the object 'c'ollided'with to veer to one saidplate, asecondV-shaped plate held in spaced relation to the said first'mentioned plate, roll ers loosely mounted upon rods formed upon the'extremities of the said second mentioned plate, and means including a plurality of springs arranged between the said two plates for'supporting the second mentioned plate.

7. A buffer attachment including asubstantially V-shapedplateadapted to be seciired upon the bowof a'vesseha plurality of projections'formed integrally with "the iso said plate, a plurality of helical springs seties of each of the said plates, as and for 10 cured to the said projections, the said springs the purpose set forth.

being arranged in parallel relation to each In testimony whereof I aifix my signature other, a second subgtanltially V-shlapeddpfliate in presence of two witnesses.

supporte in space re ation to t e sai rst mentioned plate, the opposite ends of the I JAKOB NEUMANN' said springs being secured to the said second Witnesses:

mentioned plate, and means including a plu- A. H. GRAY,

rality of rollers carried upon the extremi- B. M. BJORKLUND.

Eopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

